1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a folder-type portable terminal for enabling a user to conveniently use multimedia features.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a portable terminal is a device that a user carries for a mobile communication service. Beyond the early stage of voice call or short message transmission, mobile communication services have been advanced to provide multimedia services, such as video, game, and interactive broadcasting services. Before these multimedia services are commercialized through portable terminals, portable terminals were manly developed for portability, thus smaller and lighter device were the main target for manufacturers.
However, as the mobile communication services have been expanded to multimedia services, portable terminals designed for the purpose of voice call or short message transmission have limitations in allowing users to enjoy the multimedia services. That is, it is difficult to secure an adequate size of a display in a small hand held portable terminal, and such a display is typically not effective in viewing video or broadcast programs.
Accordingly, many efforts have been focused to allow users to enjoy multimedia services with a reasonable comfort through their portable terminals as well as to miniaturize portable terminals. As a result, the thickness of portable terminals has been significantly reduced, but the portability of portable terminals needs more improvements as a sufficient display size is still not available.
A larger display may be configured in a portable terminal by installing a display and a keypad in a single module using a touch screen, instead of installing a display and a keypad separately. Nonetheless, the portability of portable terminals and the convenience of multimedia services are in a trade-off relationship. There is much difficulty in fabricating portable terminals that is well balanced between portability and multimedia service convenience.
Therefore, portable terminals with an enhanced multimedia service function are typically designed with a bar type terminal having a touch screen. However, the bar-type portable terminal has limitations in its effectiveness to meet a variety of users' demands and preferences regarding the outward appearance of portable terminals.